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Texas is home to the largest cattle population in the US, with about 13 million animals
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The Texas Panhandle, in the northern part of the state, has the highest density of beef feedlots in the region and is bisected by Route 60
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Cargill feed depot, just south of Bovina, Texas. The region has a high concentration of feed and slaughter facilities alongside the feedlots
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Across the state there are almost 100 beef feedlots holding 500 or more cattle. These feedlots house 2.6 million animals, meaning each holds an average of more than 26,000 cattle
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Each beef cow produces roughly 23,000lbs of manure annually, according to the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). That’s an estimated 60.6bn lbs of manure from the feedlots in 2017 – roughly equivalent to the manure produced by a city of 44.6 million people, according to Food and Water Watch
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An investigation in Texas found that at least 100 complaints about faecal dust and the smell from feedlots were registered over a nine-year period. Matter generated by cattle in feedlots has
been identified as a human health hazard, causing respiratory and cardiovascular issues
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A Texas beef processing factory, with cattle about to be slaughtered in the foreground. A 2006
study found that children living near confined animal-feeding operations were at greater risk of asthma, while locals reported a higher prevalence of headaches and respiratory symptoms
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Big Texan Steak Ranch, a Panhandle restaurant and tourist attraction in Amarillo. It advertises a free 72oz steak to customers if they can eat it in an hour
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